From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
A 27-year-old fashion designer from Ilorin, Haruna Tolani, has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, for impersonating an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to defraud a victim of N20,000.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro, delivered the verdict after Tolani pleaded guilty to two counts of impersonation and cybercrime. The court heard that the convict fraudulently assumed the identity of an EFCC investigator, Callistus Egwuonwu, to unlawfully access an Access Bank account and use it to purchase MTN data worth N20,000.
The EFCC, in a statement issued by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the conviction, stressing that Tolani initially denied the charges when arraigned in January 2025 but later changed his plea after the prosecution, led by EFCC counsel Sesan Ola, presented damning evidence.
Justice Awogboro sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment with an option of a N200,000 fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of a First Bank manager’s cheque of N200,000 to the victim as compensation and directed Tolani to refund the N20,000 he fraudulently obtained.
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The EFCC said the conviction underscores its commitment to fighting cybercrime and bringing impersonators to justice.
“This case should serve as a warning to others who think they can hide behind digital platforms to commit crimes. The law will catch up with them,” the EFCC stated.
